- Film Review
- Reviewed By Alan Jones
-
3 out of 5
In a feature-length prequel to his two hit online shorts, Finnish film-maker Jalmari Helander constructs one of the oddest and quirkiest nightmares before Christmas. Lapland legend describes Santa Claus as a horned ancient demon who terrorises children with merciless spanking. So when an American drilling team unearths the mountain tomb of the "Yule Goat", a local boy (the engaging Onni Tommila) and a trio of reindeer herders must prevent the festive evil from escaping. Or could Santa's Little Helpers - creepily shown as naked, grey-bearded old men - actually save the deprived local area's economy? Filled with unnerving images (a giant iced Santa) and visually eerie delights (the child-catcher helicopter sequence), all set against stunning frozen Scandinavian vistas, the overall vibe here is playful fantasy in the Gremlins vein.
Plot Summary
Dark seasonal fantasy starring Jorma Tommila and Onni Tommila. Santa Claus's tomb is unearthed in Lapland, just before local children begin disappearing. It seems he isn't quite the jolly soul of Christmas legend.
Cast and crew
Cast
- Pietari
- Onni Tommila
- Rauno, Pietari's father
- Jorma Tommila
- Aimo
- Tommi Korpela
- Piiparinen
- Rauno Juvonen
- Riley
- Per Christian Ellefsen
- Juuso
- Ilmari Jarvenpaa
- Pietari's elf
- Peeter Jakobi
- Greene
- Jonathan Hutchings
- Sheriff
- Risto Salmi
Crew
- Director
- Jalmari Helander
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